When a Texas senator publicly says we need 100 racists in the United States Senate, that will catch my attention real quick. And that’s exactly what Ted Cruz said while speaking at the Heritage Foundation.

During his speech, Cruz recalled — and bragged — about how the first political donation in his life was sent to the late Jesse Helms. He then seemingly took a “stroll down memory lane,” fondly recalling the late senator’s antics and what he perceived as people “beating up on him” when he was alive.

He then recalled a story about how he heard John Wayne had donated to Helms’ campaign, and the senator had gone out of his way to contact Wayne to thank him for his donation. According to Cruz, John Wayne said to Helms, “Oh yeah, you’re that guy saying all those crazy things. We need 100 more like you.”

A statement Cruz agreed with, saying, “The willingness to say all those crazy things is a rare, rare characteristic in this town, and you know what? It’s every bit as true now as it was then. We need a hundred more like Jesse Helms in the U.S. Senate.”

So, according to Ted Cruz, we need 100 more like Jesse Helms in the United States Senate.

Well, let me just tell you a little bit about the late Senator Jesse Helms. This was a man who:

Called the University of North Carolina the “University of Negros and Communists.”

Said that the Civil Rights Act was “the single most dangerous piece of legislation ever introduced in the Congress.”

Used a filibuster to try to prevent a federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Almost always voted against any legislation that promoted civil rights.

Frequently tried to block the appointment of African American judges.

Supported the apartheid regime in South Africa.

Oh, and beyond race, we can’t forget his disdain for homosexuals and absolute ignorance about the AIDS virus. In fact, in 1988 he declared, “There is not one single case of AIDS in this country that cannot be traced in origin to sodomy.”

This is the type of man Ted Cruz said our entire Senate should be comprised of.

What Cruz proved once again with his ridiculous comments is that his ignorance knows no bounds. In his short time in the Senate, Cruz has proven repeatedly that he’s either completely ignorant, borderline insane or clueless about history and government—or all three.